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Wednesday, June 22, 2022

06-22-2022-0132 - Suxamethonium chloride general anesthesia

 Suxamethonium chloride, also known as suxamethonium or succinylcholine, or simply sux by medical abbreviation, is a medication used to cause short-term paralysis as part of general anesthesia.[3] This is done to help with tracheal intubation or electroconvulsive therapy.[3] It is given either by injection into a vein or muscle.[4] When used in a vein onset of action is generally within one minute and effects last for up to 10 minutes.[4]

Common side effects include low blood pressure, increased saliva production, muscle pain, and rash.[4] Serious side effects include malignant hyperthermia and allergic reactions.[5] It is not recommended in people who are at risk of high blood potassium or a history of myopathy.[3] Use during pregnancy appears to be safe for the baby.[6] Suxamethonium is in the neuromuscular blocker family of medications and is of the depolarizing type.[4] It works by blocking the action of acetylcholine on skeletal muscles.[4] Side effects of succinylcholine chloride injection include anaphylaxis, hyperkalemia, and malignant hyperthermia.[7]

Suxamethonium was described as early as 1906 and came into medical use in 1951.[8] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[9] Suxamethonium is available as a generic medication.[4] It may colloquially be referred to as "sux".[8]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suxamethonium_chloride

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